


I Have Been Changed For Good

by Puzzle_with_Infinite_Pieces



Series: Gargoyles: One Shot, Two Shot, Red Shot, Blue Shot [3]
Category: Gargoyles (Cartoon)
Genre: Brotp, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Sociopath David Xanatos, i love these two, kind of, they give me life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22217452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puzzle_with_Infinite_Pieces/pseuds/Puzzle_with_Infinite_Pieces
Summary: David Xanatos is a man of few fears. However, one of them is realized when Oberon dooms his best "friend" to a life on Earth away from Avalon forever.
Relationships: David Xanatos/Janine "Fox" Xanatos, Puck | Owen Burnett & David Xanatos
Series: Gargoyles: One Shot, Two Shot, Red Shot, Blue Shot [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599325
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	I Have Been Changed For Good

“Owen, a word,” Xanatos motioned when he saw Owen still frozen on the floor. 

Owen’s blue eyes were distant and seemed to be searching for something that wasn’t there. Owen’s fingers curled into the carpet for a moment. Yet, when Owen moved to stand, he stood with grace. 

“I don’t know what came over me, sir. But, rest assured, it won’t happen again.” Owen’s eyes were still somewhat distant. 

“No, Owen, now. Let’s get out of here and let Fox and Alexander rest.” Xanatos took Owen’s arm. 

Xanatos met Fox’s eyes as he pulled Owen from the room. Her eyes shone with the little bit of sympathy she had learned to muster as she mouthed a quick _take care of him_.

The two men walked into Xanatos’ study. Owen, to Xanatos’ overwhelming shock, still seemed unsteady. 

“I demand to speak with the protector of my son,” Xanatos stated plainly. 

“I’m afraid that’s not how this works, sir,” Owen mumbled. “He is afraid what will happen if he disobeys Oberon’s orders. He will not appear to you.” 

“Tell him he must. It is effecting you, and, if it effects you, it effects Alexander.” Xanatos put a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “Come my friend, do me this one thing so that I may repay you.” 

Owen glowed a greenish hue before transforming into the spritely servant of the Fey leaders. Puck’s eyes were distant, misty, and still fearful. 

“Why do you wish to speak with me? How can doing this help you repay me? What repayment do you owe? It was my choice wasn’t it?” Puck crossed his arms over his chest as he looked away. 

“Was Oberon truly your master? Or was he your father?” Xanatos leaned backwards on his large oak desk. 

“He was my father.” Puck flushed red looking at the floor. “Though pro-generate would be a more accurate depiction.” 

Xanatos flinched at Puck’s words and bitter tone. “So, I take it you had a difficult relationship.” 

“You could say that.” Puck heaved a huge sigh and fell to his knees with it. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m unaccustomed to this … weakness.” 

Xanatos’ eyebrows quirked upwards. “Weakness? How so?” 

David Xanatos was a man of few fears. However, he was loathe to admit the loss of Owen “Puck” Burnett was one of the ones he held deepest inside of him. 

“I don’t know. My heart is so full it feels as though it might leap out of me.” Puck gasped out a breathless laugh that quickly became a sob. 

“Puck,” Xanatos froze just before taking the shaking fey into his arms. 

“I’ll be fine, David. Just … give me a moment.” The gasping and breathless tears continued to wrack Puck’s body as he pushed himself away. 

“You aren’t ill are you?” Xanatos asked lamely. 

“No. But, I am. I think, as mortals call it, in shock. Without my powers, I am … afraid?” Puck continued shaking. 

“Ah,” Xanatos nodded. “Say no more.” 

Xanatos got a large tapestry blanket and draped it over Puck’s shoulders. 

“There, that’s a start.” Xanatos patted Puck’s back. “Tell me about your life. Was your … ah … _pro-generate_ always this way? Did you have allies against him?” 

“Yes, and yes.” Puck shook hard again, and he drew the blanket around himself tighter. 

“Tell me about your allies.” Xanatos sat next to Puck with his hands at his side. 

Puck took a calming breath as he ran his hands through his mussed white hair. 

“My sister, the Banshide, and I could do no right in Father’s eyes. She and I used to love to tease each other. But, our bond was firmly made because of Father’s mutual hatred of both of us. After all, she was his siren and also his worm. I was never his child. No, I never had the luxury. As one of his younger children, I was his servant.” Puck curled into himself and shuddered. “When he sent all of his children away into the world of mortals, it wasn’t a punishment. It was a reprieve. The Banshide and I agreed, when we first left Avalon, that, so long as Father was there, we would not return.” 

“What did he do, Puck? You can tell me. You can trust me.” Xanatos put a hand on the small of Puck’s back and guided him closer. 

Puck flinched at first. But, as soon as Xanatos was about to pull away, Puck guided the hand back. Puck reveled in the soft and grounding touch Xanatos provided.

“Are you sure? I’m just … I don’t know how to do this.” Xanatos replaced his hand at the small of Puck’s back.

“I’m not used to hands being used in such a way. They were, ah, never this gentle.” Puck hung his head as he made sure his voice was hardly audible.

“Continue, my dear Puck, what did he do?” Xanatos gave Puck a look that was softer than Puck thought anyone would be capable of mustering towards him. 

“He would randomly use his authority over us to torture us. But, before … before I was always welcome home.” Puck bit his lower lip. “Before, he would berate us. He’d yell. He’d torture us with his powers for small mistakes. Our grandmother, Mab, was certainly worse. But, Father, Father was her son through and through.” 

“Was there more?” Xanatos pressed. 

“He had favorites. Those who could do no wrong in his eyes. My elder brother, Odin, was a prized fighter and beloved by my father. My three elder sisters, the “Fates” or “Weird Sisters” as they are sometimes known to mortals, he doted on them.” Puck gave a shaky laugh. “Yes. There was more. He stripped me of my powers for a week of your mortal time, put me through a hellish ordeal, and watched me writhe in agony before healing me. Then, he returned my powers to me.” 

Xanatos had seen others move their hands up and down another’s back in a show of comfort. He decided to follow suit, but he wasn’t sure if what he’d done was right. For the minute he began the gesture, Puck began to cry. Yet, something in him told him that Puck’s tears were a good thing. So, Xanatos continued. 

“I thought I would die, then. But, Father Oberon, he didn’t will it. I wonder if he will will it now. When your child has no need of me anymore, we will be mortal. Owen will be me. I will be able to die. One day, I will die. David, I don’t want to die.” Puck sobbed harder. 

“Puck, I-I have no idea how to repay you. You saved my son. You kept him with me. You’ve served me all this time. I will not let you die before you have seen us through to the end of all our lives. Then, wherever we go from there, we go together.” Xanatos took Puck’s hand. 

Puck reached out his arms and embraced Xanatos tightly. The pine smell of Xanatos’ cologne wafted to him, and it made Puck cry harder. 

“Father — he hated me. No one has ever given any thought to Puck in all this long time, before you and your family, David Xanatos. The Puck had to repay you that debt. No one has ever cared about me before you refused my wish and took Owen as your life-friend. It was as though you told me you’d rather keep me with you than care about what I could do for you. Don’t look at me like that, I know you kept Owen because no one could buy my loyalty. Your choice was special to me all the same.” Puck squeezed Xanatos’ hand. 

“I … I … um … can’t say that I know how to respond to that,” Xanatos stammered. 

“I will miss home. I will miss … Avalon. It was beautiful. I will never be able to return home to her shores.” Puck drew himself down into his knees as he toyed with his hair using his free hand. "It is more than magic and my immortal life that I will miss." 

“Tell me of Avalon,” Xanatos whispered. “Spare no details.”

“I know what you’re doing, David,” Puck laughed. “I know what you’re doing. You will try to do the impossible and replace Avalon. However, none but the third race can truly create Avalon. But, I will tell you about it all the same.” 

“Good. I was hoping, if nothing else, to get a smile out of you, dear friend.” Xanatos gave Puck’s hand a squeeze before pulling him in closer. 

Puck shook his head and moved from Xanatos' embrace. Puck stood at the window of Xanatos’ study and cast his eyes to the ground. 

“The sand of Avalon was softer than silk against your feet, and it blazed white as pearls.” Puck moved to the window and let the light of the rising sun fall on his face. “The wind wrapped around you like a friendly scarf, and the leaves played with your hair. The sunlight and moonlight danced with you. It was an island of both a dark waltz and a May Pole weave. It was an island where time scarcely existed for it was filled with time dancers and changeling children. The days were temperate and the nights were just cool enough to draw us around the fire for stories. The moon drew you to her, and she was ever a pleasant comfort when she shone in the water. She used to speak to us and tell us her stories of the time before our race, before Gargoyles, and before man.” 

Xanatos shivered at the description of this world. There was nothing money could buy that would replace his friend’s homeland. There was no forest on this Earth so magical, but he would listen. He would find something close, or he would drive himself mad trying. 

The sunlight wrapped around Puck as if trying to return Puck to him. “He is sad for me. You know? The Sun is mourning, and his wife the Moon, as I feel her departing, is crying for me. I will never go home to my woods, David. But, it was worth it. Somehow, this," Puck gestured to Xanatos' office, "was worth it. I do not understand how it is worth this loss yet because my heart is still heavy. But, something deep within me, is reminding me that it is.” 

Puck placed a hand to his heart that seemed to want to break out of his chest. Puck’s face scrunched up fast into more tears, and he crumpled to the floor in heaving sobs. 

Xanatos stared for a moment before collecting Puck into his arms. “I will listen every night as you tell these stories to my son. I will find a forest for you to wander through. I will make a world for you to call your own.” 

Puck buried his face in Xanatos’ shoulder. “Thank you.” 

Xanatos had never felt this emotion in him before. Suddenly, tears pricked Xanatos’ eyes.

_What is this? Why do I feel what he feels?_ Xanatos wondered. _Everything is fine for me. Why do I feel so much of what's happening to him?_

The two men remained huddled in one another’s embrace until dawn fully covered them. 

Puck suddenly broke free. “I will transform back into Owen, now. Thank you, David. I will never forget your kindness. For, your kindness is why I will always stay.” 

Xanatos watched in wonder as Puck turned away from him and transformed into Owen. 

“We will never speak of this, I trust, sir.” Owen stared off in an uncharacteristic melancholy off into the horizon. 

“Of course, Owen.” Xanatos squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “But, I will remember my promise to your fairer half.” 

Owen quirked a smile as he turned to face Xanatos. “Of course, sir.” 

“And Owen,” Xanatos gave a sly grin, “No meddling.” 

“I shall do my best, sir.” Owen laughed. 

Xanatos found himself helpless against the desire to embrace Owen. So, he gave in. Xanatos wrapped his arms tightly around Owen and pulled him close. Owen, for his part, returned the gesture just as tightly. 

Fox opened the door and found the two men wrapped in each other’s embrace as morning continued to rise ever so slightly around them. She smiled to herself. 

“Good for them,” she chuckled as she closed the door and went to see about breakfast. 

**Author's Note:**

> I cannot describe how many feelings this episode gave me. I love these two so much.


End file.
